How to Turn On FileVault in Mac (Video Tutorial)

Is your Mac easily accessible to others? Do you take it to cafes or work often? If so, anyone could access your data, especially if it's lost or stolen! While this can be prevented, accidents do happen. Thus, it's crucial to **enable FileVault on your Mac** to protect your data.

As a Mac user, you can take advantage of Apple's advanced security features. So, if you want to enable FileVault on your Mac, we've got you covered!

What is FileVault on a Mac? FileVault is a full-disk encryption feature in Apple's macOS operating system. It is designed to secure your data by encrypting all information stored on your hard drive, ensuring that only authorized users can access the files on your computer. When FileVault is enabled, data is decrypted and accessible only after entering the correct username and password or using another authentication method, such as a fingerprint or Face ID. This way, if your Mac is lost or stolen, unauthorized individuals cannot read your sensitive information.

FileVault is a powerful and important security feature for Mac users. It protects against unauthorized access and potential data leaks by encrypting your entire Mac startup disk, ensuring that your data remains secure and confidential even if you lose your device.

While you may already know how to lock your Mac screen to keep your data secure, you might not be as familiar with FileVault. Once enabled, FileVault encrypts your data using advanced algorithms, rendering it unreadable without the proper credentials.

The process converts the file into code that can be read only with a decryption key, which is associated with your login credentials, creating a strong shield between the threat and your data.

When you start up your Mac, FileVault prompts for a password (if you forgot your MacBook password, click here). This is the first step to accessing the system and the decryption key.

Then, you can work with your data as you normally would. When you log out or shut down, FileVault automatically re-encrypts the data, safeguarding your valuable information.

Should I turn on FileVault disk encryption?

Enabling FileVault is crucial for protecting hard drive data and maintaining data security. Unlike hiding files on a Mac, this built-in feature uses strong encryption to safeguard your MacBook, including files, apps, and other sensitive information, from unauthorized access.

If anyone tries to access your data on your Mac, they won't be able to, thanks to powerful encryption. They'd need the correct password or recovery key.

Enabling FileVault also ensures compliance with data-protection regulations and prevents any data breaches. The software runs seamlessly in the background, with minimal impact on performance, making it an effective and convenient security measure. FileVault is an important line of defense for peace of mind.

Also, having FileVault enabled can help you to unlock MacBook Pro without password! So, let's learn how to turn it on!

How to Enable FileVault on Mac [With Video]

This is a video that explains how to enable FileVault on macOS. This tutorial is applicable to MacBook Pros, Airs, and Minis running the macOS operating system.

• 00:00 - Introduction to File Vault and its use cases
• 01:13 - Enabling File Vault from System Preferences
• 03:03 - Creating a recovery key and linking it with iCloud

Enabling FileVault is relatively straightforward, and we'll walk you through the process:

Step 1: Click on the Apple icon in the top left corner of the screen

Step 2. Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu, and then navigate to Security & Privacy.

Step 3: In there, go to the “FileVault” tab, and click the lock icon at the bottom.

Step 4. Enter your device passcode and tap “Turn On FileVault.”

Step 5: When File Vault is turned on, you must choose how to unlock your startup disk if you forget your password. Your options are:

- iCloud account and password: If you already have an iCloud account, this will be more convenient. - Recovery Key: It generates a key that you need to record and keep in a safe place. If you forget your password, you can use the Mac recovery key to recover your startup disk.

Step 6. Connect the charging cable to begin the encryption process.

This process can take a few hours, and sometimes even a day, depending on the type and volume of data.

Please share this article on social media to help others learn how to enable FileVault on their Mac.

# Recover Encrypted Data with FileVault on a Mac

What if you forget your iCloud account credentials and recovery key, and are now unable to restore encrypted data from your computer?

One of the perks of the technological revolution is that a solution to any problem is just around the corner. Allow us to introduce you to the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, a tool designed specifically for Mac users. With this APFS recovery utility, you can retrieve data from an encrypted APFS SSD partition on your Mac.

Regardless of the reason you lost data on your Mac, this software can safely recover permanently deleted files on Mac. This versatile tool is not limited to the MacBook; you can also use it to recover lost files from various devices like decrypting an SD card without the original device or performing hard drive recovery on Mac.

Follow these three steps to recover data from a FileVault-encrypted Mac:

Step 1: Select the drive to scan

In the main window of the tool Data Recovery Wizard, all drives connected to your Mac will be listed. Select the drive from which you need to recover lost/deleted files and click on the “Search for lost files” button.

Note: It is recommended to click “Disk Backup” from the left sidebar and create a backup of your Mac before data recovery to prevent further data loss. After the backup, the software can restore data from the Mac backup, and your computer will be able to write new data again.

Select the location and scan for lost Mac data

Step 2: Choose the data/files you lost

Upon launch, Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will immediately scan the disk volume you selected and display the results in the left panel. If you're looking for a specific file, you can sort the results to locate the file you need.

Select the data/files you lost

Step 3: Recover Lost/Deleted Data

Once the scan is complete, preview the files and click “Recover” to start restoring your deleted or lost Mac files.

Conclusions

Enabling FileVault encryption on your Mac is a crucial step to enhance data privacy and security. Our comprehensive guide will assist you in effortlessly activating FileVault, safeguarding your sensitive files from unauthorized access.

Moreover, it's wiser to take additional steps to protect your data, like installing recovery software such as Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. There may be times when you need to access iCloud or a recovery key. In such stressful situations, you can always rely on data recovery software to do the job for you.

Frequently Asked Questions on How to Enable FileVault on a Mac

Now that you understand the value of FileVault for macOS users, let's look at some common questions to learn more.

**1. How do I disable FileVault on my Mac?**

To disable FileVault on a Mac, follow these steps: "System Preferences > Security & Privacy > FileVault." Unlock with an administrator password, click "Turn Off FileVault," and follow the prompts. This will remove encryption and decrypt your data. Be sure to restart your computer.

**2. How do I enable FileVault on my Mac?**

To check if FileVault is enabled, go to Apple menu > System Preferences > Security & Privacy > FileVault. If it says "FileVault is on for [username]," then it's activated. The disk icon indicates the encryption status. A locked icon means it's encrypted, and an unlocked one means it's decrypted.

3. How to use a FileVault recovery key on a Mac? To use a FileVault recovery key on your Mac, follow these steps: 1. Open "System Preferences" on your Mac. 2. Click the "Security & Privacy" icon. 3. Select the "FileVault" tab. 4. If FileVault is already enabled on your Mac, you'll see a message asking you to enter the recovery key to unlock the disk. 5. Enter your FileVault recovery key and then click the "Continue" button. 6. Your Mac will start decrypting your startup disk. This process may take some time, depending on the size of the disk and the amount of encrypted data. Remember that the recovery key is used to unlock the disk if you forget your password or cannot access a user account. It's crucial to keep the recovery key safe and secure to avoid losing it. If you can't find your recovery key, you may need to contact Apple Support for further assistance.

To use a FileVault recovery key on a Mac, start up your Mac, enter your username at the login screen, click “Forgot all passwords,” enter your recovery key, reset your password, and log in with your new password to unlock the encrypted drive and access your data.

4. What if I forget my FileVault password?

When you forget your FileVault password, you can use the recovery key that was generated during setup. Restart your Mac, enter your username at the login screen, click “Forgot all passwords,” input your recovery key, reset your password, and log in. If you've lost both your password and recovery key, you can use data recovery software, like Disk Drill, to regain access.